This study guide aims to prepare the user for the CCNA exam (640-507). It contains: a preliminary assessment test that helps direct preparation; focused coverage of CCNA issues; written and hands-on labs; over 300 review questions with explanations; two practice exams; and electronic flashcards for PCs and Palm devices. CCNA exam topics covered include: using Cisco IOS commands for router start-up; Using the RIP and IGRP routing protocols; configuring frame relay LMIs, maps, and subinterfaces; monitoring frame relay operation in the router; understanding WAN configurations and services - frame relay, HDLC, X.25, DDR, ISDN/LAPD, and PPP IP and dynamic IP routing IP addressing and subnetting LAN segmentation using bridges, switches, and routers; working with TCP/IP; backing up and restoring the Cisco IOS and router configuration; configuring Cisco routers and switches; understanding the spanning-tree protocol; and creating and implementing access lists.
Todd Lammle strikes gold again with a new edition of
CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide, which, in point of fact, isn't hugely different from earlier versions but nonetheless dominates its competitors. This is the best book on the market for bottom-up CCNA preparation, owing in equal part to Lammle's thorough coverage (the CCNA test covers many tiny details), his skill in explaining concepts in prose and illustrations and his care in designing exercises and practice questions. All the exam-prep elements are handled competently, as well, with annotations supplementing answer keys and plenty of comments about what Cisco expects its test-takers to say, as opposed to what may actually be true.
What's special about the Deluxe Edition? Its companion CD is somewhat better than before, since it now includes a browser-based tool that simulates a Cisco router's administrative interface (it can be hard to set up, though). The practice exam software on the CD is okay, though its questions are identical to those in the book. It would also be nice if the software kept track of your performance on exams over time, allowing you to identify and practice in subject areas of weakness. The book itself now features a larger and more detailed glossary, and a nice command reference. There's no need to upgrade if you have one of this book's predecessors, but count on a treat if this is the first Lammle CCNA book you buy. --David Wall
Topics covered: all of the material Cisco Systems says you have to understand in order to pass Exam 640-607 and earn its Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) professional rating, including the seven-layer network model, the essentials of Internet Protocol and its routing, the Cisco Internetwork Operating System (IOS) and wide-area network (WAN) technologies.
